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[Cindy_B]

Prior Subject: Video - Format Size Request.

Can we please have a video size of 720 x 480.

Most video editing programs and cameras capture at this size.  MC only has 640x480 and it's causing some problems with centering and stretching.  This happens when viewing full screen on a second monitor or TV.

I'm getting black on the left hand size of screen.

I have tried to center it with the tool's within my graphic (ATI) card, however it's still not enough.  ATI's display adjustment tools max out on centering and scaling.  

[sraymond]

Cindy,

Yeah, many *digital* videos use 720x480:  DV, DVD, and SVCD come to mind.

How wide is the vertical black padding?  I have the 8500DV AIW and I don't see this problem on my TV out.  What aspect ratio is MC set to?  It sounds like you might have "anamorphic" set - this is the only thing that causes any sort of noticable vertical black padding for me.

I don't think video resolution is the problem.  720x480 is 3:2 and 640x480 is 4:3.  If I choose MC's "1.33:1" aspect ratio for a 720x480 video, it is still slightly letterboxed (black horizontal bands) and definitaly stretched in the vertical.  Using MC's "Source Aspect Ratio" gives me the right aspect ratio (no vertical stretching) and more letterboxing.

The normal TV aspect ratio is 4:3 (aka 1.33:1) and HDTV is 16:9.  If I'm not mistaken, the maximum TV resolution is something like 720x486.

I wonder if your problem isn't with how the ATI card is sending the video to your TV out.  What settings are you using?

I'd be willing to bet a case of beer that Yaobing knows the answer to your problems...

Scott-

[Cindy_B]

Cindy,

Yeah, many *digital* videos use 720x480:  DV, DVD, and SVCD come to mind.

How wide is the vertical black padding?  I have the 8500DV AIW and I don't see this problem on my TV out.  What aspect ratio is MC set to?  It sounds like you might have "anamorphic" set - this is the only thing that causes any sort of noticable vertical black padding for me.

I don't think video resolution is the problem.  720x480 is 3:2 and 640x480 is 4:3.  If I choose MC's "1.33:1" aspect ratio for a 720x480 video, it is still slightly letterboxed (black horizontal bands) and definitaly stretched in the vertical.  Using MC's "Source Aspect Ratio" gives me the right aspect ratio (no vertical stretching) and more letterboxing.

The normal TV aspect ratio is 4:3 (aka 1.33:1) and HDTV is 16:9.  If I'm not mistaken, the maximum TV resolution is something like 720x486.

I wonder if your problem isn't with how the ATI card is sending the video to your TV out.  What settings are you using?

I'd be willing to bet a case of beer that Yaobing knows the answer to your problems...

Scott-

Hi Scott,

The black varies from video to video. I say it varies between two pixel lines too about eight depending on how it was made on DVD.  Fullscreen videos are not the problem.  It seems to be on other resolutions like letterbox captured from TV at 720x480.

My videos are captured at 720 x 480 and converted to mpg1 at half resolution 360x240.  (doing this to save disk space)

My setting in MC are set to 1:33(Fullscreen)
with display mode at 640x480x32.

My graphic card is ATI's All-In-Wonder 9000.

[sraymond]

I wonder if your problem isn't with how the ATI card is sending the video to your TV out.  What settings are you using?

I was wondering about the ATI settings.  Do you have the TV as a a primary (the bullseye) or clone (the overlapping windows)?  What are your Overlay's Clone Mode Options settings - especially Theater Mode Settings' "Set video aspect ratio to"?

Scott-

[Cindy_B]

I was wondering about the ATI settings.  Do you have the TV as a a primary (the bullseye) or clone (the overlapping windows)?  What are your Overlay's Clone Mode Options settings - especially Theater Mode Settings' "Set video aspect ratio to"?

Scott-

I using TV as a Secondary Monitor at 640 by 480.
This card does not have a "Theater Mode".

Mc displays to my secondary montor when in full screen.

[sraymond]

This card does not have a "Theater Mode".

"Theater Mode" isn't a function of the card, it's a function of the drivers.  It's been in the Catalyst drivers for quite some time (years?),  What version of the drivers are you using?  The newest are Catalyst 3.7 - though I'm still working off of the 3.6s without any trouble.

Are you sure you don't see Theater Mode in the video card's Display Properties|Settings|Advanced's "Overlay" tab?

Scott-

[Cindy_B]

I believe it the way MC displays it's videos to secondary monitors.

I just played a 720 x 480 avi file that I captured with Adobe Premiere.

When I play the video thru Adobe Premiere it centers the display as it should.  However, when I play the same video file with MC it's offset to the right side  showing black on the left hand side.

[Cindy_B]

"Theater Mode" isn't a function of the card, it's a function of the drivers.  It's been in the Catalyst drivers for quite some time (years?),  What version of the drivers are you using?  The newest are Catalyst 3.7 - though I'm still working off of the 3.6s without any trouble.

Are you sure you don't see Theater Mode in the video card's Display Properties|Settings|Advanced's "Overlay" tab?

Scott-

Yeap  Nothing there!   I don't see Catalyst anywhere.
The videos look great just not centered.

[Cindy_B]

"Theater Mode" isn't a function of the card, it's a function of the drivers.  It's been in the Catalyst drivers for quite some time (years?),  What version of the drivers are you using?  The newest are Catalyst 3.7 - though I'm still working off of the 3.6s without any trouble.

Scott-

Scott I understand how overlay works.  I had an ATI card with a Catalyst driver for overlay settings.  The problem I had with overlay was that evertime I wanted to navigate within MC while a music video was playing it would stop displaying on my TV.  I like this card because it allows MC to shoot out to a secondary monitor instead of the overlaying method allowing me to jump around with MC.

[sraymond]

So what version are your video drivers?  

If they're not ATI's Catalyst, you should probably upgrade as a first step.  ATI's website (http://www.ati.com) has 'em.

Scott-

[Cindy_B]

So what version are your video drivers?  

If they're not ATI's Catalyst, you should probably upgrade as a first step.  ATI's website (http://www.ati.com) has 'em.

Scott-

Scott did you get a chance to read my prior message?

If I install Catalyst and use overlay,  would I still have the second monitor capabilities as I stated above?

[sraymond]

Scott did you get a chance to read my prior message?

If I install Catalyst and use overlay,  would I still have the second monitor capabilities as I stated above?

Sorry...  I missed it.  Maybe I'm not sure what you mean by "second monitor capabilities".  And it's the use of the Overlay's "theater mode" (not just overlay - which I think you still have) that gives me the functionality I want.

If you're not using the Catalyst drivers for you ATI AIW 9000, are you using the native XP drivers?

The problem I had with overlay was that evertime I wanted to navigate within MC while a music video was playing it would stop displaying on my TV

That's not normal...  cerrtainly not for me.  In my case, once the overlay (using theater mode) has the video, the only thing that causes it to "lose" it is if I minimize MC or it loses focus.  But I can certainly navigate anywhere within MC without any problems.  I usually just change to mini-me to prevent any problems.  What I want to happen (and what happens for me!) is that the TV has the display (PN) full-screen while I continue to use MC or other programs.

If you're not willing to try and go back to the Catalyst drivers (which will give you the "theater mode" option), maybe you can try changing your desktop resolution.  

I'm guessing you display MC using full-screen and have your TV cloned - I didn't understand your answer to that question (you said "secondary monitor").  Or are you using the Configure Display|Full Screen's Monitor setting?  Or something else?

Again, for me, the Catalyst drivers (3.6) and its theater mode work *perfectly* for me.  But maybe we're talking about two different functionalities - if so, I apologize for wasting your time.

Scott-

[Cindy_B]

Scott

No apologize needed.   Thank you for helping.

Within MC under Player/Display Options/Configure Display/FullScreen.  I have mine set to Display #2.

This works great.  I don't need overlay and it shoots all my visuals including visualization to my TV.  Anytime I want to see something on TV I just click on "fullscreen".

My ATI's AIW 9000 allows me to set up a secondary monitor or TV.

My monitor (display #1) is set to 1024 by 768.
My TV monitor (display #2) is set to 640 by 480.

This card works great with MC.  The only thing is this offset.  

[sraymond]

I remember doing that for a while...  but it didn't work out for me.  I did a quick search and came up with the topic http://www.musicex.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=MediaCenter;action=display;num=1048831999;start=15#15.  This has jogged my memory about the clone vs extended desktop deal.

So now I see why you'd blame MC for the problem.  If Yaobing doesn't have a solution for you, I'd still suggest that you go back to clone mode and use Overlay's theater-mode - and perhaps I can help you figure out if there's a setting you're using that causes the overlay to lose the video when browsing inside MC.  

But now I wonder something else...  I don't think images use the overlay - do they get sent to the tv out full-screen when using the second display?

Scott-

[Cindy_B]

But now I wonder something else...  I don't think images use the overlay - do they get sent to the tv out full-screen when using the second display?

Scott-

Yes.....  Everything is sent to the TV.  This is exactly why I don't like the overlay method.  I want to see visualizations or images for my audio files mixed in with my music videos all thru my TV.  

[sraymond]

OK, almost ten posts on my part and I've done nothing but waste your time!  I went back to using Extended Desktop and I noticed the same problem you've described.  But I don't know how changing the full-screen resolution (which is what you're asking for, I think) to a non-standard aspect ration (TV is 4:3) will help - unless you also "trick it" by changing MC's aspect ratio.  

Strange that Yaobing has been silent - he's definitely *the man*.

Another solution might be to simply have visulations output to the overlay...  I think I asked for this once before...   Yup:  http://www.musicex.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=MediaCenter;action=display;num=1062698223;start=2#2.  Time for a bump maybe?

Scott-

[Cindy_B]

OK, almost ten posts on my part and I've done nothing but waste your time!  I went back to using Extended Desktop and I noticed the same problem you've described.  But I don't know how changing the full-screen resolution (which is what you're asking for, I think) to a non-standard aspect ration (TV is 4:3) will help - unless you also "trick it" by changing MC's aspect ratio.  

Strange that Yaobing has been silent - he's definitely *the man*.

Another solution might be to simply have visulations output to the overlay...  I think I asked for this once before...   Yup:  http://www.musicex.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi?board=MediaCenter;action=display;num=1062698223;start=2#2.  Time for a bump maybe?

Scott-

Scott.... you have not wasted my time,  I'm thankful that you are taking the time to confirm this problem.  I think you are correct that it's not a format issue.  I believe it's the way MC shoots out to a second display.
I think MC needs to offset this display due to the fact that video has a black area on the left hand side of each frame.

[Cindy_B]

bump